California State University, Fresno
General Catalog
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Biology



You are in the official 1997-98 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.



Department of Biology

School of Natural Sciences
THOMAS E. MALLORY, Chair
Science Building, Room 106
(559) 278-2001

B.S. in Biology

Options
Ecology
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Organismic and General Biology
Physiology

M.A. in Biology
M.S. in Marine Sciences

Minor in Biology

Biotechnology Certificate

Single Subject Teaching Credential in Science

Preprofessional Advising
Clinical Laboratory Technology, Dentistry, Forestry,
Medicine, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine

Faculty


Thomas E. Mallory, Chair

Raymond Abhold, Graduate Coordinator
Bert Tribbey, Marine Science Coordinator
Gregor M. Cailliet, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Coordinator
David M. Andrews, Credential Advisor

Undergraduate advisors are assigned by the department chair.

David L. Chesemore
S. Fai Cheuk
William K. Collin
Stephen Ervin
David E. Grubbs
Ethelynda E. Harding
Wallace M. Harmon
Shirley A. Kovacs
James Prince
Kristina A. Schierenbeck
Fred E. Schreiber
Brian Tsukimura
Vivian A. Vidoli
Lorraine Wiley
Lenore Yousef

Faculty expertise spans the range of biology from molecular to ecological, with a broad representation of taxonomic specialties. Laboratories in upper-division major courses are taught by faculty, and individualized student/faculty research participation through independent study is encouraged.

Biology is the scientific study of life: its properties, its complexity, and its incredible variety. Biological studies may focus on objects as small as molecules or as large as whales. They range from the inner workings of cells to the structure of whole ecosystems, and they lead biologists from the tops of mountains and the deepest ocean trenches into sophisticated modern laboratories.

The Department of Biology offers a diversified undergraduate program that matches the breadth and excitement of modern biology and prepares students for the hundreds of career opportunities that use biology as a foundation. The Bachelor of Science degree requires the successful completion of the core program and one of the following four options:

  1. Organismic and General Biology allows students to develop a broad program that cuts across taxonomic lines or to specialize in a particular taxonomic group. This option is also appropriate for students planning to enter the field of clinical laboratory technology.
  2. Molecular and Cellular Biology utilizes advanced technology to uncover the fundamental unifying processes of living things.
  3. Physiology seeks to understand the mechanisms that operate within the individual organism.
  4. Ecology focuses on the interrelationships between living organisms and their environments.

The biology major we offer has three programmatic goals:

  1. To provide students with a solid foundation in all aspects of modern biology and also the intellectual skills that will serve as the basis for a lifetime of future achievement.
  2. To provide students with the specialized educational opportunities that will allow them to compete successfully for careers in the biological sciences or for advanced studies in major doctoral programs.
  3. To provide preprofessional students with the knowledge needed for advanced study in the many fields that build upon a biological foundation.

Our undergraduate biology major is excellent preparation for graduate programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, forestry, veterinary medicine, optometry, doctoral programs, and many others.

The department offers a Master of Arts degree in Biology for qualified students who wish to explore biology in greater depth. It also participates in a postbaccalaureate certificate program in biotechnology.

Advising is an integral part of the departmental program and all biology majors are assigned advisors. This student/faculty collaboration on program planning is undoubtedly one of the main reasons for the postgraduate successes of our students.



Faculty and Facilities

Faculty expertise spans the range of biology from molecular to ecological, with a broad representation of taxonomic specialties. Laboratories in upper-division major courses are taught by faculty, and individualized student/faculty research participation through independent study is encouraged.

The department is housed in a well-equipped, modern science building. Excellent greenhouse and animal care facilities provide support to the instructional program. Fresno's proximity to both the Sierra Nevada crest and the Pacific coast, provides an "outdoor laboratory" with numerous field trip opportunities that are rarely equalled at other institutions. Students with interests in marine biology can study at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML).